It was in the single digits for temperature today, but I went out to explore Granby Land Trust Properties anyhow.

Drove out to Strong Road to hit the kiosk for the properties at the Old Messenger Road Preserves:

• Katan-Ensor Preserve
• Schlicht Preserve
• Garmany Preserve

Additionally, the area is home to a pair of old discontinued woodland paths... Old Messenger Road and Old Creamery Hill Road.

In November of 2021 and January of 2022 I had last been in these properties.  Today I would look for something "new".

The first image shows the route on a topo map - which is a bit old.  The second image shows the amount of development that has sprung up in this portion of Granby, Connecticut lately.

Rambled for 6.3-miles and kept from freezing solid.  Found a side-path that will work out better than sticking to Old Messenger Road the entire way out to Mountain Road (for connection to Mary Edwards Mountain Property).  Still a spur or two to explore further.

2023 Unsupported Trail Race Unofficial Challenge #3

Simons Skyline Loop 12.4 km (7.7-miles)

This was a difficult run from roughly the 4-mile point onward.

Actually, from the road crossing around mile 3.5 or so, it wasn't easy...

This is the old Wednesday Night Run organized by KS back in the late nineties and early two-thousands.  Occasionally, I get motivated to check it out again after a couple years.

The Skyline section went fine, but once across the road and on the climb to 880' I began to feel the hills.  I missed a couple paths along the way, mostly minor due to lack of use and heavy leaf duff.

Took the alternate western trail to climb Pine, and once descending that I felt decently good.

On the way to the road crossing to get back to Skyline, the muddy briar infested section was all it ever was.  Deep puddles of mud, ice and water surrounded by briars and thorns.  Not much choice but to travel right down the middle of the water, which I did not want to do.  I tried to go around and it was rough - I ended up with a dozen or more thorns stuck in my hands, arms and legs.

That took some of the joy out of the run, but I the worse was still to come.  Somehow, once in Skyline, I ended up on a trail that began to travel in the wrong direction (there are just so many new trails it makes it difficult).

Finally, I got back on track, but not the way I had wished.  I ended the last half-mile the same as the start, which is a rocky section and a bit dangerous on icy ground and tired legs.

Completed the 7.7-miles as 8.2-miles, in 2:06:00.  Much room for improvement!

Had an ending pace of  3.9 mph or 15:22 per mile.

On this day in 1998, the 4th Annual Moby Dick Marathons were held over Greylock. I completed my 19th marathon in 6:19:40, with Johnny Bandit.  It was the second time I wore snowshoes for the 28-mile adventure.  It would be the last time I would snowshoe this distance!

Overlooking Ragged Mountain

Memorial Tower

How many Towns in Connecticut and Massachusetts I can run within during 2023.

Something new for me...

Inspired to record the following: "How many Towns in Connecticut and Mass I can run during 2023".

I don't know if I will backtrack and add my entire history of running and hiking throughout these two states.  At this moment, I just plan on recording what happens in 2023.

Only rule is that the running adventure must pass through a town as some point during at least a 3-mile run, the entire 3-miles do not need to be within the town itself.

Here is my progress through January 31st, 2023...

Punk Rock's Tom Verlaine passed away Saturday (January 28, 2023.  He one of the two incredible lead guitarist with the band Television during the dawn of Punk, and had a long solo career as well.

I purchased Television's first two albums when they came out on vinyl when I was a young teenager.  Hearing the title track from the first LP, Marquee Moon, totally blew my fourteen year old mind.  It still does today, despite listening having listened to it at least two or three times a year every single year since 1977.  Gosh, that's over forty-years....

I have the many solo records Tom Verlaine released, most of them are really good.  I have the "reunion" record Television released in 1992, it also is a really good record.  But, those first two Television Albums are what makes me such a huge fan.

Television "Marquee Moon", 1977

Side one

1. "See No Evil" 3:56

2. "Venus" 3:48

3. "Friction" 4:43

4. "Marquee Moon" 9:58

Side two

1. "Elevation" 5:08

2. "Guiding Light" (Verlaine and Richard Lloyd) 5:36

3. "Prove It" 5:04

4. "Torn Curtain" 7:00

Television

• Billy Ficca – drums
• Richard Lloyd – guitar 
• (solo on "See No Evil", "Marquee Moon", "Elevation", and "Guiding Light"), vocals
• Fred Smith – bass guitar, vocals
• Tom Verlaine – guitar, keyboards, lead vocals, produciton
• (solo on "Venus", "Friction", "Marquee Moon", "Prove It", and "Torn Curtain")

Television "Adventure", 1978

Side A

1. "Glory" 3:11

2. "Days" Verlaine, Richard Lloyd 3:14

3. "Foxhole" 4:48

4. "Careful" 3:18

5. "Carried Away" 5:14

Side B

1. "The Fire" 5:56

2. "Ain't That Nothin'" 4:52

3. "The Dream's Dream" 6:44

Television

Billy Ficca – drums

Richard Lloyd – guitar, vocals

Fred Smith – bass, vocals

Tom Verlaine – lead vocals, guitar, piano, production

2023 Unsupported Trail Race Unofficial Challenge #2

Bear Hole Reservoir 11.2 km (7.0-miles)

This was my second Sunday running "hard" in a row.

I was feeling a bit "low" with a nasal infection and slight head cold, but I figured a late afternoon decent effort run couldn't hurt too much.

The first surprise at Bear Hole was the 10k course had some changes in it.  Off the paved forest road section and into more winding single-track.  Running this way, the mileage markers were almost a mile off (where we used to have mile-2 it was mile-3, etc).  Thinking that the end with the two grueling short steep uphills would be out - I decided to tackle the entire NET (Metacomet) section that once was from mile 3 onwards (today, it began about mile 4).  That didn't happen.

In the end, the 10k measured out to 7-miles.  I felt as though I was just crawling towards the finish.  Yet, I managed to run the 7 miles in 74 minutes, for an average pace of 5.69 mph or 10:34 per mile.  This was difficult, especially those last 3-miles.

• Mile 1     Averaging 6.4 mph
• Mile 2     Averaging 6.3 mph
• Mile 3     Averaging 6.2 mph
• Mile 4     Averaging 6.0 mph
• Mile 5     Averaging 5.9 mph
• Mile 6     Averaging 5.8 mph
• Mile 7     Averaging 5.7 mph

Ran in Loupinski Honey Pot Wildlife and Southwicks flats today.

Didn't feel awesome but completed 5.2-miles anyhow, with a small waterfall sighted.

McCann Family Farm in Somers after work on a darkening day...

Completed a slow 3.6-miles.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #03 for 2023...

"The Mourner " written by written by Donald Westlake as Richard Stark, published 1963.  

Book 4 of the Parker Series.

Cover Images

Completed a 24-Lecture Series on "The Great Courses" aka Wondrium tonight.

Excellent way to spend over twelve-hours learning about...

 "Ancient Civilizations of North America"

The lectures were taught by Professor Edwin Barnhart, Director of the Maya Exploration Center.

Totally immersed in each lecture, great jumping off points toward further in depth study as needed or as interested in.  Highly recommended.

L01     The Unknown Story of Ancient North America .

L02     The First Human Migrations to the Americas .

L03     Clovis Man: America’s First Culture 

L04     The Archaic Period: Diversity Begins 

L05     Late Archaic Innovations

L06     Poverty Point: North America’s First City 

L07     Medicine Wheels of the Great Plains

L08     Adena Culture and the Early Woodlands Period

L09     The Hopewell and Their Massive Earthwork5

L10     The Origins of Mississippian Culture

L11     The Mississippian City of Cahokia

L12     The Wider Mississippian World 

L13     De Soto versus the Mississippians

L14     The Ancient Southwest: Discovering Diversity

L15     The Basketmaker Culture 

L16     The Mogollon Culture

L17     The Hohokam: Masters of the Desert

L18     The Ancestral Pueblo 

L19     The Chaco Phenomenon

L20     Archaeoastronomy in the Ancient Southwest 

L21     The Periphery of the Ancient Southwest 

L22     Late Period Cultures of the Pacific Coast 

L23     Late Period Cultures of the Great Plains

L24     The Iroquois and Algonquians before Contact

There are a few local (New England and New York) ancient sites I hope to visit this year (2023).

• Gungywamp
• North Salem, NY Balanced Rock
• Lanesborough, MA Balanced Rock State Park
• Mystery Hills "America's Stonehenge", Salem, New Hampshire
• Stone Chambers throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts

Bands and Live Performances I've been a part of:

#1.

Early on, even before a driving license, I was playing music.  The first band that practiced and played was a quartet that I'll call the ABCD Band (or Alphabet Band) given for our last names.

First ever performance was at a birthday party in the early days of 1977 or 1978 era.

We played some Beatles (Get Back, Got to Get You Into My Life), some Eagles (Take It Easy, Lyin' Eyes), and I can't really remember much else.  Kick Out the Jams was the one song I sang while playing bass guitar.

2023 Unsupported Trail Race Unofficial Challenge #1

McLean Game Refuge 11.2 km (7.0-miles)

Seems like this is the first run of 2023 where I actually ran pretty darn hard, at least for some of it.

K2 and I drove out to McLean with a 90-minute limit to meet back at the car.

Roughly 3.5-miles into the run I was averaging 4.3 mph.  To cover the ground and trails I was hoping to I realized that I needed to "speed up".  From that point on, I began to push and run "hard".

Ended up with 7-miles (6.95 on the gps) in 83:45 for an average of 5.0 mph.  It felt great.

Honeypot Wildlife Management to run into Southwick's Flats for 6.9-miles. 

Cowles Park after work for a nice, relaxing 3.4-miles.